Hearing

2024-2025 Membership

Duties and Responsibilities

• The Faculty Senate Hearing Committee (“FSHC”) is designated as the body to facilitate the hearing of cases involving non‐retention (UWS 3), layoffs (UWS 5), and dismissals for cause (UWS 4 and UWS 7) pertaining to tenured or tenure‐track faculty members, and to facilitate the hearing of cases involving the dismissal of instructional academic staff (IAS) members for cause (UWS 11). The pertinent chapters of the Universities of Wisconsin Administrative Code, as noted, should be consulted for initial guidance as to rights, responsibilities, and process related to such cases. The member may also seek information and assistance from an ombudsperson as specified in Section I of the Faculty Senate Policies. The FSHC is responsible for developing rules and procedures to assure fairness in hearings, and communicating these to faculty, instructional academic staff members, and others who are directly involved in hearings. A subset of the membership of the FSHC, the Active Hearing Committee (“AHC”), will be selected to hear each case brought to the FSHC. 

Charge Letter

Meeting Minutes

The procedures for hearings are the procedures described in the Faculty Senate Bylaws in the section on the Hearing Committee.

Click here for previous academic year committee membership, meeting minutes, charge letters, and final reports for the Hearing Committee.

2024-2025 Membership

Duties and Responsibilities

• Hearing and acting upon complaints in accordance with UWS 6.01, UWL 6.01, and UWS 13.01. Complaints are allegations against a member of the faculty or instructional academic staff which allege conduct violating university rules or policies, or conduct adversely affecting the performance of the member's obligation to the university. Complaints unrelated to the academic function of the university, or for which separate procedures exist such as for charges of sexual or racial harassment, or complaints alleging illegal activities subject to civil penalties, shall not be considered by this committee unless requested by the chancellor. Complaints brought before the committee by action of the chancellor require that the chancellor or the chancellor's representative assume responsibility for prosecuting the charges. 

• Hearing and acting upon grievances in accordance with UWS 6.02, UWL 6.02, and UWS 13.02. Grievances concern personnel problems adversely affecting a member of the university community and involving a petition for redress either by or against a member of the faculty or instructional academic staff. Grievances claim personal harm from the action of another employee involving such matters as terms of appointment, promotion, retention, salary, work assignments, or other conditions of employment. The university employee initiating the grievance bears the burden of proof as the grievant and may, at his or her option, specify what would be considered remedial action. 

• Hearing appeals that request a review of a procedure, decision, or action of university administration, of an academic department, of any support unit, or any body of university governance other than the Faculty Senate or its committees that impacts on one or more members of the faculty or instructional academic staff, except when appeals concern dismissal, non renewal or lay-off decisions (see Hearing Committee). Appeals for review of an action of a senate committee shall be directed to the senate. A faculty member need not be adversely affected by an action to request a review. (For example, a professor could appeal revisions in his or her department's promotion criteria; a department could appeal a dean's decision to decline an offer of a contract to a candidate for a vacant position.) An appeal to CGAAF shall be filed only when other avenues for review are not available. Procedures established by CGAAF for hearing appeals shall follow procedures described in UWS and UWL 6.02 for hearing grievances. In particular, when an informal resolution cannot be reached, the appellant is responsible for preparing the appeal petition, documenting evidence, and securing witnesses; burden of proof rests with the appellant. The written formal appeal shall be filed within 30 days beyond the end of the semester during which the appealed action was taken. 

• Recommending corrective actions when needed, or issuing statements of admonishment or censure in cases where the committee determines that there have been actions contrary to the principle of academic freedom or deviations from fair and equitable application of due process. 

• Developing rules and procedures to assure fairness in the hearing of complaints, grievances, and appeals and communicating these to parties involved in hearings. Minimum guarantees of due process and procedure shall provide both parties to a dispute: a) written notice of hearing at least ten days prior to the hearing, b) the right to counsel and/or other representatives, c) timely access to documentary evidence, and the names of witnesses, d) the right to offer, confront, and cross-examine witnesses, e) the right to a copy of the official record of the proceedings, f) the right to written findings of fact and decision, and g) the right to a written account of all committee recommendations. While providing due process, the committee shall not be bound by common law or statutory rules of evidence. Hearings shall be held in accordance with Wisconsin Open Meeting Law (Sub IV, Chapter 19, Wisconsin Statutes). 

Charge Letter

Meeting Minutes

Committee Documents

Click here for previous academic year committee membership, meeting minutes, charge letters, final reports and committee documents for the Complaints, Grievances, Appeals & Academic Freedom Committee.